


Howdy

by Fishyz9



Category: Days of Our Lives
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-31
Updated: 2013-10-31
Packaged: 2017-12-31 02:40:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1026315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fishyz9/pseuds/Fishyz9
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s Halloween in Salem and a fight breaks out at the club. Will plays sheriff.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Howdy

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by a photo of Chandler in a plaid shirt with a piece of straw in his mouth, and of Freddie wearing a chicken hat.

** Howdy.  **

 

“Hey, Chicken Little!”

_Do not engage the crazies, Sonny. Just ignore him and pour the drinks._

“Yo, Big Bird!”

“I’ll be with you in one minute, Sir.”

“I’m thirsty _now_ , asshole.”

I thump the glass I was about to fill down on the counter and glare at the guy, forgetting for a second that I’m dressed in a big, yellow, feathery chicken suit. “Another word and you’re out, got it?”

The guy sputters, looking me up and down. “Go get your manager. Now.”

I calmly walk over to where he’s leaning against the bar and rest both hands on the counter. “You want the manager?”

He sneers at me. “ _Please_.”

I puff a stray yellow feather out of my eye. “You’re looking at him.”

“Oh, come _on_.”

“He is the manager,” says Gemma, one of the waitresses. She casually drags a cloth across the end of the bar with one hand while the other holds a tray of empty shot glasses. “Want me to get security, Sonny?”

“That’s okay, I got this.” I turn back to the guy just as some girl wearing a skintight cat suit slinks up next to him.

“Hey you, have you forgotten about me?”

“No, babe, I’m just waiting for some service.”

The girl looks at me and then back at the douche that’s such a douche he didn’t even wear a costume for our Halloween costume night. Unless he’s dressing as a douche this year, in which case…gold star for him.

“What’s going on?” She says in a resigned tone that tells me she’s probably used to his bullshit. “Are you getting into another argument?”

I raise an eyebrow at him. _Ball’s in your court, buddy._

He clears his throat. “Nah, we were just chatting, that’s all.”

The girl looks at me and smiles. “Cute costume.”

“Thank you, my daughter picked it out.”

She positively melts before me. “That is the _sweetest_ thing!”

I soften a little bit, ignoring Sir Douchebag beside her for a moment. “I say my daughter; she’s my partner’s daughter.”

Okay, perhaps I wouldn’t ordinarily offer so much personal information to a stranger, but the more I pour on the daddy-Sonny feels the more I seem to piss off the ass-hat standing next to her. Worth it.

She presses her hand to her PVC covered chest. “That is just….you are _adorable_!”

I smirk at the douche and then shrug innocently. _See? I can be a jerk too._

“I believe I asked for a beer and an appletini?” Douche asks.

“How old is she?” She asks, completely ignoring her date and leaning both elbow on the bar, smiling at me.

I may not have to speak to this guy but he’s still a customer, so I make the drinks as I talk. “Nearly six months.”

“So young!”

“Yeah, she’s a tiny little nugget.”

“Is she talking yet? Walking?”

“No, but she can roll over and gurgle.”

She laughs, slapping my forearm. I slide the beer over to her date, only glancing at him when he hands me a bill, and then place her martini in front of her. “There you go.”

“Thank you.”

“No problem.”

“Yeah, thanks” he says, utterly insincere as he takes her elbow in an attempt to gently pull her away from the bar. I have to press my lips together to keep from grinning when she subconsciously shakes him off and just continues with our conversation.

“Do you have pictures?”

“Uh, not on me; chicken suits don’t have pockets, but my partner does.”

“Oh!” she looks over her shoulder and then back at me. “Where is she? Let me guess, is she dressed as an egg?”

I laugh. “Uh, no. _He’s_ actually right over there.” I point over her shoulder towards Will. “Wearing the plaid shirt and the hat?”

She blinks at me. “You’re gay?”

 _Aw crap_. “Yes.”

She pinches the bridge of her nose. “Let me get this straight…”

I cut a quick glance to her date when he snorts, and I level him with a cold stare before giving my attention back to cat woman.

“You and your partner―who happens to be another guy― have a cute little baby together who picked out your chicken suit?”

“Yep.”

“I can’t even.”  She presses both hands palms down on the counter. “There’s just too much cute in that one sentence to even begin to process it.”

I laugh at her. I love people like this. Just… _normal_.

“Okay, so where is this guy? Point him out to me.”

“Just there, he’s standing next to Ari’s mother; Gabi.” I point out.

She follows where I’m pointing and then looks back at me, holding her palms outwards in a ‘hold everything’ gesture. “The blond cutie with the killer butt?”

“Can we maybe move along?” Douche bag interjects, but we both ignore him.

“That’s him, that’s my guy.”

I laugh when she shakes her head and then holds out her fist for me to bump. I do the honors.

“You have _seriously_ good taste.”

“I do, don’t I?”

“You do. I’m Katie by the way.”

“Nice to meet you, Katie. I’m Sonny, and my partner over there is Will. You should introduce yourself; he practically needs no encouragement at all to whip out the baby pictures.”

“I think I’ll go do that.” She grins. “Come on, you.”

When I look at her date, his mocking glare that was already cold has turned glacial. It’s a look that I’m unfortunately all too familiar with: disgust. I make a mental note to keep an eye on him, in fact I decide to go give a heads up to security, just in case, but as I’m turning I forget that I have a big chicken butt and accidentally knock a glass off the low shelf behind me.

“Whoa! Careful.” Gemma says, catching the glass like a ninja. Which is ironic because she’s dressed as a ninja.

“Crap, thank you.”

“Anybody’d think you weren’t used to being dressed as giant chicken.”

“Funny that.”

“Okay seriously, how does a six month old pick out a Halloween costume?”

“Oh it’s legit, trust me…”

**oOo**

_Earlier that day…_

“Who’s that?” I call out when I hear the door to our apartment.

“Sonny?”

I may not be able to see him because of the stacked boxes surrounding me, but I can tell immediately by the tone of his voice that he’s both amused and puzzled by the mess I’ve created in our living room.

I stand, clipboard still in hand and smile at him. “Hey.” I gesture around myself. “Want to give me a hand?”

“With what, your fort?”

“I’m taking stock, dummy.”

“In our living room?”

“The suppliers mixed up the billing and shipping address, hence this mess.”

He squints one eye at me and grins. “Gee, that sounds familiar.”

I clear my throat, feeling myself flush. “Uh, yeah, but for real this time, they screwed up.”

He looks back over his shoulder, no doubt checking that Gabi isn’t behind him with Ari. “You know, if you wanted to get laid you can just tell me, baby.” And the jerk winks at me.

“Ha ha. Open a box and start counting.”

He drops the grocery bags by the door just as Gabi appears behind him, cooing at Arianna. She stops still when she sees the mess I’ve made.

“Sonny made a fort because he’s ten years old.” Will says, smirking.

Arianna waves her list fist and makes an inarticulate gurgling noise, but she’s looking right at me like this is the best idea in the whole world. Any harsh words I had for Will are replaced by my goofy smile at that little baby.  

“What’s with the boxes?” Gabi asks me, stepping over the grocery bags at Will’s feet. Will closes the front door and picks up the bags, taking them over to the kitchen counter.

“It’s Halloween decorations for the club and costumes for the staff. The supplier got the billing and shipping address mixed up, so I’m checking everything’s here before I take it over to the club.”

“Again? What a coincidence” she says with a barely concealed grin.

My jaw drops and I shoot an accusatory glare at Will. “You _told_ her?”

He smiles at me sheepishly. “Whoops?”

“You’re so smooth, Sonny; it’s amazing Will held out as long as he did.”  Gabi smirks.

I lift an eyebrow at her. “Hey, it worked didn’t it?” I shuffle my feet. “I mean…eventually.”

“Honestly, sweetie, all you had to say was: _Will? Want to come over to my place and get busy?_ And I would have been over there like _that_.” He snaps his fingers.

Gabi snorts, bouncing Ari on her hip. “Yeah right, and how long did it take _me_ to get you into bed?”

“Uh, that had nothing to do with me playing hard to get. I was just terrified of your lady parts, is all.”

Gabi giggles, shaking her head. “I don’t think this is a conversation for little ears, I’m going to put this one down for a nap.”

Will watches her, waiting until she’s out of the room until he looks back at me, smirking. “Now, your _boy_ parts? That’s a different story.”

“I can’t believe you told her.” I pull a mask out of a box and throw it at his head. “Jerk.”

He catches it, grinning. “I’m sorry, we were bonding.”

“You mean gushing? You know, about your super-hot stud of a boyfriend?”

“Na, just bonding.”

“You can’t even give me that, can you?”

He rolls his eyes. “Fine, you’re a stud. You’re a Suzy homemaker, flower arranging, using Arianna as an excuse to watch Disney movies _stud_.”

I point at him. “And don’t you forget it.” I frown. “I’ve never once arranged flowers.”

“I know. You’re actually quite butch.”

I laugh. “Get that cute butt over here and help me.”

We’re counting Groucho Marx glasses―or we were before Will put on a pair and started to reminisce about silly string fights―when Gabi walks back into the room, gently swinging an ornery Ari in her arms.

“Apparently we’re not in the mood for napping.” She sighs.

“Want me to take her?” Will asks, already getting up from where he was sat cross legged opposite me.

“Would you? I’m supposed to meet Cam for coffee in like, ten _minutes_.”

Will’s only too happy to help if it means encouraging Gabi to get out and date anyone that _isn’t_ a psychotic, blackmailing murderer, and quickly lifts Ari from her arms.  “I got her, you go get ready.”

“Thanks.”

Will does all of his signature daddy moves, but she’s not settling. “Aw, crap” he says, patting her little butt. “She is so not in the mood for me right now.”

“Let me try.”

“You want your Sonny?” He asks her. “You need an extra special Sonny cuddle?”

He hands her over to me, and after five minutes of cuddles and rocking she still isn’t settling. Clearly desperate, Will dives into one of the boxes and starts pulling out different masks. “Look, look at daddy.” I bounce her on my knee as Will hides behind a clown mask, and I might be imagining it but her cries increase an octave or two.

“It’s not working, Will.”

“Hang on…” He digs into the box and then pulls out a zombie mask. “Grrr _brains_ …”

“Uh…” We both look towards the hallway to see Gabi there, fiddling with her earring and frowning at us both. “Why are you scaring our baby?”

“I’m not scaring her; I’m trying to make her laugh, gurgle, fall asleep, _anything_ but cry.”

“By pretending that you’re going to eat her brains?” She practically face palms. “ _Will_.”

 “She has a point, Will.” I laugh.

His shoulder slump and he sighs, tossing the mask aside. “Pass her here.”

“You’ve got this?” Gabi asks, swinging her handbag over her shoulder and looking doubtful.

“Yeah, we have her, have a good time.” Will says, and she takes off.

I pass an increasingly upset Arianna back to her daddy and press my lips together to keep from laughing at him. I reach into the nearest box and grab the first thing to hand. It’s a chicken hat, yellow, feathery and with goggle eyes.

“Hey sweetie, look …” I pull the feathery thing on. “Gobble, gobble, gobble!”

Her crying turns into whimpering as she stares at me, I feel as if I’ve just moved a friggin mountain. “Gobble, gob―” I glance at Will. “What?”

He looks like he’s trying to not laugh. “You know that’s a chicken hat, right?”

“Uh, yes? Gobble gobble―”

“Sonny, baby, chickens don’t go _gobble, gobble_.”

 “Yes they―”

“No, they don’t. That’s a turkey. Chickens _cluck_ , doofus.”

“…You might be right about that.”

“There’s no _might_ about it” he laughs, “but at least she isn’t crying.”

I pull the hat on firmly over my head, crawl over towards them, tuck my hands under my armpits… and flap. “Buck, buck, buck…”

Two things happen. Will’s hand flies over his mouth to keep from laughing, and Arianna lets out the squeal of all squeals. I peck at her feet and her little fists go flying. That distinct baby giggle fills the room and is joined by Will’s laughter.

“What’s he doing, pumpkin? Is Sonny being silly?”

I kneel up―still clucking―and peck at Will’s shoulder, going for his neck.

“He’s got me! Ari, help!”

Will curls in on himself, Ari secure in his arms and I peck at the both of them. When I finally relent we’re all a little breathless and that little girl is still giggling away, her hands reaching out towards the feathers.

“Okay, so I think we’ve found your costume for tonight.”

I pull back. “What?”

“Clearly that hat was meant for you.” He nods over towards the boxes. “Is there a costume that goes with it?”

“Well…yeah, but I wanted to―um…”

He looks at me. “What?”

I try not to sulk. “I…I wanted to be Dracula.”

He shakes his head. “Miss Ari has made her decision.”

“She’s not even going to be there!”

“Sonny,” He lifts Ari up in front of him, practically hiding behind her. She has the biggest, most adorable, toothless grin on her chubby little face. “Do you really want to let down this little girl? Your little sweat pea?”

“Oh that’s just low.”

“Do you?”

I press my lips together, glaring at him. “If I’m going as a chicken what does that make you? The Colonel?”

“That’s funny, but no, I can’t grow facial hair _that_ quickly.” He bounces Ari in his lap as he squints, thinking. “Oh! I’ll be Old McDonald!”

“And I’m a chicken on your farm?”

“With a cluck cluck here and a cluck cluck there, here a cluck, there―actually, if you had your way it’d probably be with a gobble gobble here and a ―”

“There could be turkeys on the farm.”

“Yes, but Ari prefers the chickens.”

I look at the feathery monstrosity in my hands. “Do I really have to?”

“Yes, the prettiest girl in the whole wide world demands it.”

Now I know I’m pouting. “Fine.”

“Just think; Ari will look at the photos I _will_ be taking tonight in years to come to see that you dressed up like a chicken all because it made her smile.”

I lift my shoulder, conceding reluctantly. “I guess that’s kind of cool.”

“And mommy can be Mrs. McDonald! Can’t she?” He says to Ari.

My mouth drops open. “Let me get this straight. You and Gabi are going to my club as a married couple―”

“A _fictional_ married couple, sweetie.”

“And I’m going to be…what? You’re weird, giant, yellow pet?”

“Would _you_ rather be Mrs. McDonald?”

“I’d rather be Dracula!”

He says nothing, and instead holds Ari up in front of his face.

“That’s emotional blackmail.”

“No t’s not, it’s a cute baby.”

I huff.  “I can’t believe you and Gabi are going to…you’ll be like…”

“Sonny?”

“What?”

He leans close, kisses me. “Boy parts, remember?”

**oOo**

“And that’s why I’m a chicken.”

Gemma bites her lip, but she dimples in her attempt to not smile. “Sonny, you are an awesome partner slash adoptive daddy slash giant chicken.”

Somewhat appeased I thank her, and she disappears once more into the crowd. I squeeze back behind the counter―careful of my giant feathery butt―and check that we have enough ice.

“Howdy, pilgrim.”

I look up and glare. “Oh, _howdy_ , is it?”

He frowns at me. “What’s up? Can I help with anything?”

“No.” I grump.

“I’ve just been speaking to some woman called Katie. Says you sent her over after gushing about Ari, you big cutie.”

I grunt in response, not even looking up.

“Hey, what’s the problem?”

“What’s the problem? What’s the _problem_?”

“That’s what I asked.”

“My _problem_ is that I came here tonight dressed as Big Bird on the condition that you would be dressed as a dumpy farmer.”

He holds his arms out to his sides, looking down at himself. “And?”

“And you’re a sexy cowboy! You’re a super-hot, sexy cowboy and I-am-a-friggin- _chicken_.”

He pouts. “You look cute as hell.”

“You were supposed to be a farmer!”

“I _am_!”

I pinch the bridge of my nose. “You’re wearing tight jeans, a plaid shirt that’s only buttoned _half way_ with a cowboy hat and boots.”

“No, look…” He pulls the piece of straw from between his teeth. “This is what farmers do, I am totally a farmer.”

I walk around from behind the bar to stand in front of him. “You Sir are a pair of chaps away from being a member of the village people.”

He narrows his eyes at me and says jokingly: “Are you saying I look _gay_?”

I grab him by the belt buckle―the big, shiny, cowboy-esque belt buckle―and tug him close. “I’m saying you look so good I want to forget all these people are here and throw you across the bar and do exclusively, _excessively_ gay things to your body.”

His gaze turns heated and he pushes the tip of his hat up with his index finger to lean closer. “Oh yeah?”

“Yeah. How about when―”

“Oh Christ, _really_?”

We both look to the side to see the douche bag from before standing there holding an empty beer glass, his lip curled in disgust.

“You again? Seriously?” I say tiredly.

“If I’d known this was a _fag_ club I wouldn’t have brought my girl here, Jesus.” He spits out.

I have to grab Will’s arm, pulling him back beside me. “Don’t give him the satisfaction,” I murmur in his ear, and then look over towards the entrance of the club. I catch the doorman’s eye and wave him over. “You’re out of here, buddy.”

“I’d like to see you make me leave, fucking _queer_.”

“I don’t have to.” I lift my chin, gesturing for him to look behind him. When he does, he has to look up. “This is Steve, our doorman. He can either escort you out quietly, or he can drag you out by the scruff of your neck, your choice.”

Katie pushes through the small crowd around us and looks between her date and me. “What’s going on here?”

“Katie, I’m sorry to ruin your night and it was nice to meet you, but it’s time for your boyfriend to leave.”

She turns to look at him. “Really, Josh? Arguing _again_?”

“They’re _fags_.”

It’s at that point that Steve lands one beefy hand on―Josh’s, apparently―shoulder in warning. Katie literally recoils, going so far as to take a step back.

“ _Excuse_ me?”

“I think it’s time for you to leave.” Will says, his voice low with anger.

“Okay, one?” Katie says. “He is not my boyfriend; in fact this was your last chance to prove to me that you can be a normal, decent human being, remember?”

“Aw, Katie, come _on_ ” he says, shaking off Steve’s grip and glaring back at him. “Let’s just go.”

She bites her lip, crosses her arms. “No. _You_ go, I’m staying.”  And with that she turns and disappears into the crowd.

“Looks like you’re going home alone, Josh. Goodnight.” I lift my chin at Steve, and then it happens so quickly―way too quickly for Steve to stop him. Josh lunges towards at me, fist raised, and I manage to move out of the way just enough for his fist to only grave my chin.

None the less it takes me by surprise and I step backwards, tripping over my own oversized birdie slippers and I crumple―undoubtedly making it look at lot worse than it actually is―to the ground. There’s suddenly a lot of commotion around me, and when I’m helped to my feet again I’m surprised to see that it’s Gemma helping me up and not Will. That’s when I notice that it’s Steve pulling Will off of Josh who’s now on the ground cradling his nose with blood gushing out from between his fingers.

“Take a swing at _my_ boyfriend will you? Try it again and see what happens!”

He’s thrashing in Steve’s arms, his hat falling from his head. I call out to him and he stops, pulling away from Steve and making his way over to me. I watch Steve drag the asshole out of the club, and then I’m suddenly surround by people asking me if I’m okay.

“I’m fine, I’m fine. Everyone relax and go back to dancing, I’m not hurt.”

Will’s a little more difficult to appease than the others however, and he insists on dragging back to my office so that he can look at the blossoming bruise on my chin in a better light.  When Will closes the office behind us I’m almost immediately relieved when the noise level is muted to something more bearable.

I take off my chicken hat and sit, perched on the edge of my desk.  Will strides over and his hands gently turn my head this way and that.

“Does this hurt?”

“No,” I say gently, enjoying his sweet concern.

“How about this?”

I take his hand in mine, lowering it. “I tripped over my own big feet; he didn’t land a proper punch, okay?”

He sighs. “Why do people like that have to exist?”

“I don’t know, they just do.”

“Sucks.”

“Yep.”

“Come here.” He says in a low, quiet voice, and then kisses me―unbelievably gently― on my chin. I fucking _melt_.

“You’re kissing my boo boo?” I murmur.

“Mmhm.”

“Thank you,” I whisper.

He smiles. “My pleasure, silly.”

“No, I mean thank you for going ape-shit on that guy. You shouldn’t have, but…thanks for being that kind of boyfriend.”

His thumb grazes my chin. “You’re mine; I’m allowed to protect what’s mine. Thank _you_ for wearing the chicken suit for Ari even though she only saw you in it for five minutes.”

My smile widens. “Yeah, but it was five minutes she spent giggling her little but off.”

He laughs. “True.” He watches me for a few seconds, and it’s the comfortable silence I’ve come to love between Will and me.

“Sonny…”

“What?”

“I really, _really_ love you.”

I bite my lip. It’s so strange to me that someone who makes me so comfortable in my own skin can still take me by surprise and make me feel unexpectedly shy. “I love you too.”

“You know…you were saying some pretty interesting stuff before we got interrupted back there.”

I grin. “Oh yeah?”

My mouth goes dry when he starts to unbutton his own shirt, his gorgeous shoulder’s rolling as he shrugs it off. He nods.

“Something about me, the bar, and gay stuff...”

I press my hands against his stomach, sliding them up. “I do believe you’re right.”

He leans close, his lips a hairsbreadth away from mine. “Sonny, there’s something…something I want to ask you.  Something I’ve always wanted to know…”

“What?” I whisper.

“Why’d the chicken cross the road?”

I push at his chest, begrudgingly laughing at him. “I hate you.”

“I got a better one.”

“Shut up.”

He takes me by surprise by pulling me into a deep kiss that makes me groan into his mouth. When he pulls away a fraction I take a deep gulp of air, and I keep my eyes shut. He presses a kiss to my forehead, to my closed eyelids, and then says…

“Ever hear about the chicken that got screwed by a cowboy?”

Giddy up. 


End file.
